The invention relates to a connecting apparatus for hinging a joining element, which is rigidly connected to a wiper arm.
A connecting apparatus for the articulated connection of a wiper blade of flat beam design, which is suitable for different wiper arms, is known from the German patent publication DE 20 2005 021 307 U1. The connecting apparatus comprises at least one one-piece or multi-piece connecting element which is rigidly but detachably fastened to a carrier element in the form of spring rails. According to the invention, an adapter is located between each wiper arm and the wiper blade, said adapter comprising on the one hand connection options for the connecting element and on the other hand connection options for one of the wiper arms or joining elements, which are rigidly connected to the respective wiper arm or are integrally formed on said wiper arm. A joint, the joint axis of which extends transversely to the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade, is disposed between one of the joining elements and an adapter, which is connected to the connecting element in a rotationally fixed manner or between a part of the adapter connected to said connecting element in a rotationally fixed manner and a part of said adapter connected to the joining element in a rotationally fixed manner. Thus, three different adapters for three different joining elements of the wiper arms ensue.
The connecting apparatus is suited to a wiper arm having a hook-shaped end or joining element or an end, respectively joining element, having a lateral bearing pin and a bridge which correspond to a known side-lock principle. Said connecting apparatus is also suited to a wiper arm having an end or joining element, wherein the wiper arm extends substantially in a straight line above the wiper blade and is connected to the connecting element according to the top-lock principle. Another connecting apparatus for the articulated connection of a wiper blade to a wiper arm is known from the German patent publication DE 103 47 637 A1. In this case, a connecting element in the form of a sheet metal claw comprises a central longitudinal web, which faces away from the carrier element of the wiper blade and into which a pivot spindle, which runs transversely, is inserted in a rotationally fixed manner. An adapter with bearing openings, which are arranged in lateral spring tongues, is pivotably mounted on the pivot spindle which protrudes in a floating manner on both sides of the longitudinal web. The adapter, which is manufactured from plastic, encircles the metal claw from the outside and is clipped into a joining element, which is open towards the wiper blade and fixedly connected to the wiper arm, by means of detent elements and retaining elements. Said adapter is firstly guided laterally by means of inner guide webs on the sheet metal claw and is secondly inserted at the sidewalls thereof in the joining element in a manner free from play. A push button, which is provided in a cover wall of the adapter at the end of a spring tongue and, in the fitted state, latches into a matching detent hole in a cover wall of the joining element, serves to fix said adapter in said joining element.
A wiper blade for glass panes of motor vehicles is known from the German patent publication DE 10 2006 031 514 A1, which has a connecting element in the central region for the articulated connection to a wiper arm. The connecting element comprises a base element, which is composed of two side parts having open longitudinal grooves facing one another. Said side parts sit with said grooves on spring rails serving as the carrier element. Said spring rails are partially embedded in lateral longitudinal grooves of a wiper strip and protrude to a certain extent laterally beyond said longitudinal grooves of the wiper strip at least in the region of the connecting element. The longitudinal grooves of the base element are bounded at the bottom by a lower leg and at the top by an upper leg. A projection is disposed in an end region on the upper leg and a recess is disposed in the other end region, which in each case are directed towards the opposite side part. The projection of the one side part fits into the recess of the other side part and vice versa. In the assembled state, the projections fix the side parts longitudinally relative to one another in the recesses and define the distance of said longitudinal grooves transversely to the wiper blade. Two contact surfaces, which run inclined to the longitudinal direction, are situated in each case on one side of each projection or recess, wherein the contact surfaces form a convex roof area at the projection which fits into a concave roof area, which is formed by the contact surfaces at the recesses. Thus, the side parts are locked in the direction of the vertical axis.
A detent hook is provided on the sides of the recess opposite to the contact surfaces, which engages in a detent depression on the projection of the respective other side part. The projections and the associated recesses comprising the associated contact surfaces and detent hooks form a guide block, which engages in a recess in a base of a sheet metal claw. The sheet metal claw, which forms the actual connecting part, encompasses the side parts from the outside with feet, which project in an angled manner from the base. At the ends of said metal claw, longitudinally oriented lugs, which are bent into corresponding recesses of the base element during assembly, are integrally formed on the feet thereof. Starting from the base of said sheet metal claw, side walls are bent in opposite directions at approximately 90 degrees between said feet. The side walls carry a bearing pin as the joint part, which is riveted to said side walls.